CELEBRATION GALORE IN ANAMBRA, ACROSS NIGERIA AND THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY AS APPEAL COURT AFFIRMS OYE
By Christian ABURIME
…AS APGA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN AND SOLUDO AS ITS GUBER FLAG-BEARER!
The palpable tension and anger which greeted the controversial Jigawa High Court judgment which unfortunately led to the omission of Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s name from INEC gubernatorial list came down yesterday when the Appeal Court sitting in Kano set aside the obnoxious judgment.
The whole of Anambra state erupted into ecstatic joy when news filtered in from kano that the Jigawa “abracadabra” judgment has been vacated and set aside.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 the Appeal Court sitting in Kano disagreed with the lower court which had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to recognise one Mr Jude Okeke who claimed to be an APGA member and National Chairman of the party and their “purported” gubernatorial candidate Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji.
The appellate court subsequently nullified the 30th June judgment in far-away Birkin Kudu Division of Jigawa State High Court and affirmed Ozonkpu Dr Victor Ike Oye as the authentic APGA National Chairman and Prof Charles Soludo as the party gubernatorial candidate for November 6 governorship election
The Appeal Court also ruled that the Jigawa State High Court has no territorial jurisdiction to entertain the case abinitio, giving credence to the various opinions earlier expressed by some leading Nigerian lawyers on the judicial ‘rascality’ exhibited in Jigawa
Majority of Ndi Anambra has also commended the Kano Appeal Court Justices for its landmark ruling
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) also praised the judiciary for standing firm in defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its statutes. The party National Chairman, Chief Victor Oye, through the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Barrister Tex Okechukwu, described the judgment as a watershed in Nigeria’s political life
The Anambra State Government also commended the Appeal Court for its ruling. It declared in a statement signed by Information and Public Enlightenment Commissioner, Mr C Don Adinuba, that hope in the Nigerian Judiciary as the temple of justice for all citizens has been rekindled with the sound judgment delivered by the respected Justices in Kano
Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, through his media office, in a statement signed by Mr Joe Anatune also commended the Justices at the Kano Appeal Court for their courage and forthrightness in delivering a unanimous ruling which has rekindled confidence and trust by the people in the Nigerian Judiciary
The jubilations which heralded the ruling was also expressed across Nigeria and the global community as monitored in social media platforms with majority of the people across board commending the ruling and expressing Solidarity and Support for Cee Cee Soludo and APGA!
This outpouring of support and celebration from the people has reaffirmed the popular belief that Soludo remains the most popular and widely accepted gubernatorial candidate for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State!
